The 'Mormon' brand

A decade ago the Mormon church tried to get America to stop using the "Mormon" name. Now, church leaders are embracing it.

December 6, 2011 — 3:04pm

Mormon.org, Associated Press/New York TimesA frame grab of Joy Monahan, a professional surfer, from the ad campaign, "I'm a Mormon," on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints website. The church has launched a visible ad campaign, which seeks to quash straight-laced stereotypes by showing off a cool, diverse set of Mormons. -NO SALES

Mormons profess smoke-free, alcohol-free clean living, but that wholesomeness has never been enough to overcome the image problem they endure in America. Having two GOP presidential candidates -- Jon Huntsman and Mitt Romney -- so far miss with the "family values" crowd further underscores the problem.

Although politics isn't the church's business, leaders at the church's headquarters in Salt Lake City recently struck out to improve the Mormon "brand" through TV ads and billboards using Madison Avenue marketing techniques.

Instead of trying to eradicate the word "Mormon" from our lips, the campaign features church members from all walks of life proclaiming, "I'm a Mormon." Nearly 6 million Mormons live in the United States.

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The effort is similar to the "I'm a Muslim" ads done by American Muslims leading up to the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Those ads were effective because they featured Muslim firefighters and other first responders.

Will the Mormon ads make a difference? Not likely on a large scale. American attitudes toward Mormons have changed little since Gallup started polling about them in the 1960s.

That spells trouble for the current Mormon GOP presidential candidates, just as it did for Joseph Smith, the founder of the religion. He, too, sought the U.S. presidency.

Although the church distanced itself from polygamy ("plural wives") in 1890, it remains a reality in Mormon culture. Mormons say they are Christians and that Jesus appeared in America -- which doesn't square with mainstream Christian teaching.

Frankly, a lot of religions teach logic-defying beliefs. Some of their members make stellar public servants; others give politicians a bad name. Mormons are no different.